Electrical connection apparatus



March 5, 1968 v. K. CONCANNON v 3,372,367

ELECTRICAL CONNECTION APPARATUS Filed Aug. 50, 1966 1 u 17 2;; A A4 INVENTOR KConc nnon ATORNE Y5 United States Patent Office 3,372,367 Patented Mar. 5, 1968 3,372,367 ELECTRICAL CONNECTION APPARATUS Virgil K. Concannon, Mount Arlington, NJ. (285 Mount Arlington Blvd., Landing, NJ. 07850) Filed Aug. 30, 1966, Ser. No. 576,522 3 Claims. (Cl. 339-274) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to electrical connection apparatus, and more particularly to such apparatus for use in weapon systems.

Conventional connectors are not adapted for easy use by personnel in extreme cold weather environment.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide electrical connection apparatus which can reliably function in cold weather military operations.

Another object of the invention is to provide such apparatus in which the contact means of a plug may be quickly and effectively moved to a predetermined relative position to facilitate a cable connecting operation.

These and other objects, features and advantages will become more apparent from the following description and accompanying drawing in which:

The sole figure is an elevational sectional view of an arrangement embodying the principles of the invention.

The electrical connection apparatus includes a connector receptacle, shown generally at in the drawing, having a cup-like support member 11 suitably secured behind an apertured panel 12. Preferably, a cam shaft 13 is appropriately journalled in aligned openings in the lower front and rear walls of the cup 11 and extends longitudinally through an aligned panel opening 14 to receive an operating handle or locking lever 15 for rotating the cam shaft 13. A plurality of cams 13A secured to the cam shaft are longitudinally spaced at predetermined locations therealong.

Suitable attaching means 16, 16 on the inside front and rear surface of cup 11 anchor the ends of one or more snap acting springs 17, the spring means 17 being appropriately secured to the receptacle connector plate 18 which overlies camming means 13A and has an upwardly extending guide pin 19 and a plurality of less protruding contact elements 20.

The upper front portion of the cup 11 is provided with an opening 21 aligned with panel aperture 22 to receive the free end of a cable connecting plug 23. Plug 23 is provided with undersurface complementary guide recess 24 and contact recess means 25, each recess overlying its mating protruding member of connector plate 18 when the plug 23 has been completely inserted into the receptacle. To facilitate obtaining the proper distance of plug insertion, an outwardly extending stop or flange 26 is provided on the plug at a predetermined distance from its undersurface recess means. Appropriate gasket means 27 may be secured to either the stop means 26 or the panel 12 for engagement with the other. Preferably, the plug free end portion has laterally extending flange means 28 on either side thereof for slidable movement upon complementary inwardly extending track means 29 formed on the side walls of cup 11, to facilitate and assure interconnection of the plug and receptacle, even in extremely cold weather.

The free end of cable connector plug 23 is inserted by one hand of an operator through openings 22, 21 and slid along track means 29 until stop flange 26 abuts panel 12. With the operators other hand, locking lever or handle 15 is turned in one direction to rotate cam shaft 13 so that cams 13A elevate plate 18, such that guide pin 19 enters its mating recess to assure alignment of the immediately closing contact elements 20, 25, and spring 17 is snapped to assume an inverted contour for maintaining plate 18 in a locked elevated position until the circuit is disconnected by unlocking the handle 15. Thus the electrical connection apparatus is assured of reliably functioning, particularly in extremely cold weather as part of a weapon system that requires interconnection of components through cables during prefire and final arming operations.

Various modifications, changes or alterations may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Electrical connection apparatus comprising,

a connector receptacle having a support member and an apertured front panel, a cam shaft having cam means and extending through said member and panel, a snap acting spring having its ends secured to said member, a connector plate having protruding contact means and guide means and being normally biased by said spring toward said cam shaft,

a cable connector plug having recessed contact means and means for receiving said guide means, stop means on said plug for engaging said panel upon said plug having traversed its aperture a predetermined distance such that said recessed contact means and guide receiving means correspondingly overlie said protruding contact means and guide means, in vertical alignment, and

means on said cam shaft forwardly of said panel for actuating said cam means to elevate said plate and interengage said aligned means.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said plug has horizontally extending flange means and said support member has horizontally extending track means for receiving said flange means to facilitate interconnection of said plug and receptacle.

3. The arrangement of claim 1 in which said guide means protrude farther than said contact means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,536,688 5/1925 Osborn 339-74 2,654,872 10/ 1953 Saul et al. 339-75 2,801,394 7/1957 Derner et al 339-75 MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner. I. H. MCGLYNN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. ELECTRICAL CONNECTION APPARATUS COMPRISING, A CONNECTOR RECEPTACLE HAVING A SUPPORT MEMBER AND AN APERTURED FRONT PANEL, A CAM SHAFT HAVING CAM MEANS AND EXTENDING THROUGH SAID MEMBER AND PANEL, A SNAP ACTING SPRING HAVING ITS ENDS SECURED TO SAID MEMBER, A CONNECTOR PLATE HAVING PROTRUDING CONTACT MEANS AND GUIDE MEANS AND BEING NORMALLY BIASED BY SAID SPRING TOWARD SAID CAM SHAFT, A CABLE CONNECTOR PLUG HAVING RECESSED CONTACT MEANS AND MEANS FOR RECEIVING SAID GUIDE MEANS, STOP MEANS ON SAID PLUG FOR ENGAGING SAID PANEL UPON SAID PLUG HAVING TRAVERSED ITS APERTURE A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE SUCH THAT SAID RECESSED CONTACT MEANS AND GUIDE RECEIVING MEANS CORRESPONDINGLY OVERLIE SAID PROTRUDING CONTACT MEANS AND GUIDE MEANS, IN VERTICAL ALIGNMENT, AND MEANS ON SAID CAM SHAFT FORWARDLY OF SAID PANEL FOR ACTUATING SAID CAM MEANS TO ELEVATE SAID PLATE AND INTERENGAGE SAID ALIGNED MEANS. 